On June 26, 1993, Ariana Grande was born in Boca Raton, Florida. She grew up to become a Nickelodeon TV star at 17 and then a chart-topping pop music sensation at 20. Known for her many hit songs, including “Dangerous Woman” and “Problem,” she has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, won three American Music Awards, including Artist of the Year in 2016, and an MTV Video Music Award. Turning 25 years old today, Grande has a lot to celebrate. She just got engaged to “Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson and she is set to release her fourth album, “Sweetener,” on July 22.
Grande began acting and singing at a young age. By the time she was 15 years old, she made her Broadway debut in “13,” a play about growing up in New York City. She had her breakout TV role in Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” as the naive, yet lovable, aspiring singer-actress, Cat Valentine. She then starred in the “Victorious” spin-off show, “Cat and Sam.” After the show aired, Grande was ready to devote herself full-time to a career as a singer.
Grande released her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in 2013. The lead single, “The Way,” was a top 10 Billboard hit and went triple-platinum. With her soulful voice and impressive vocal range, many drew comparisons between Grande and Mariah Carey. Grande’s sophomore album, “My Everything,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Along with her song “One Last Time,” her catchy duets on the album – “Problem” with Iggy Azalea, “Break Free” with Zedd, “Love Me Harder” with The Weeknd, and “Bang Bang” with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj – were all hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
In February 2016, Grande released her third album, “Dangerous Woman,” and made Billboard chart history. When the album’s title track debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, Grande became the first person in Billboard history to have lead singles from each of their first three albums debut within the top 10 in the United States.
During Grande’s “Dangerous Woman” tour, tragedy struck at her Manchester, England performance on May 22, 2017. At the end of her concert, a
suicide bomber killed 22 people and 116 were wounded. Although Grande was “broken” after the terrorist attack, she returned to Manchester a week later and performed with all-star guests, including Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. She impressed everyone with her fortitude in the face of such tragedy.
We wish Grande a very happy 25th birthday! We hope she spends the day “turnin’ it up” as she sings in her latest single, “No Tears Left To Cry.”